At 10 a.m. on July 30, the NPS was notified of a 23-year-old female climber who had sustained injuries the day before during a fall, while roped, on the Valhalla Traverse on the west side of the Grand Teton. The climbing party of two was able to self-rescue back to their camp in the Moraines camping zone. Since falling, the patient had complained of symptoms of a head injury, vision disturbances, and back pain. The following morning, when the symptoms had not resolved, the party called for assistance. The NPS contract helicopter responded to the scene with three climbing rangers. Due to the nature of the injuries, the patient was flown to the rescue cache and transferred to an ambulance.  

ANALYSIS

This team displayed proper judgment and decision-making following the fall. They made every attempt to self-rescue. The party had traveled a remarkable distance toward the trailhead. They also showed good judgment in calling for assistance once they had exhausted their own resources and realized the patient’s condition was not improving. (Source: Grand Teton National Park Search and Rescue Report.)